Wildlife Habitat

FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT WILDLIFE HABITAT - PAGE 3

Maryland and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have agreed to extend and enhance the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program through 2007, said Colleen Cashell, director of the Washington County office of USDA's Farm Service Agency . This partnership, formed in 1997, will allow Maryland to continue the process of enrolling up to 100,000 acres of environmentally sensitive land along streams and rivers to be set aside and maintained to protect water...

Officials are hoping to recruit volunteers to help plant trees Monday along East John Street in Martinsburg as part of efforts to improve the environment. The planting is scheduled from 9 to 11 a.m. across from Roach Energy, according to Herb Peddicord of the West Virginia Division of Forestry. Monday is recognized as Earth Day. The trees will be planted to enhance wildlife habitat along Tuscarora Creek, help filter stormwater runoff to improve water quality, make the stream bank more stable and add to the city's urban tree canopy, according to an announcement from Peddicord.

Breese Morse Dickinson IV received his Eagle Scout award at Saint James Chapel on May 20. Breese is the 45th Eagle Scout under T. Hunt Hardinge's leadership in Troop 10 at Trinity Lutheran Church. For his Eagle Scout leadership service project, Breese created a wildlife habitat area and rehabilitated wetland area for Saint James School. As part of a leadership role requirement, Breese supervised local Cub Scouts in the making of 15 birdhouse boxes, which were installed by a few of his Saint James classmates along an existing fence line shaded by pine trees on campus.

Area residents interested in mastering the practice of composting may register for the Eastern Panhandle's first-ever Master Composter Training Seminar, which is set to be held next week. The certification program will be taught at the Berkeley County administration office building at 400 W. Stephen St. in Martinsburg by Larry Wilhelm of the Organic Recycling Institute, according to the Berkeley County Solid Waste Authority. Class size is limited for the three-day seminar and reservations must be made by Wednesday.

bonnieb@herald-mail.com CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - Gardening aficionados learned about more than 40 varieties of new plants Saturday at a program sponsored by the Franklin County Master Gardeners at St. Paul United Methodist Church. Speaker George Weigel, Pennsylvania editor of People, Places and Plants magazine, presented slides of more than 40 new varieties of plants, including day lilies, shrub roses, coneflowers, celosia, petunias and begonias. A new petunia, Tidal Wave Silver, has white, lavendar-tinged blossoms and spreads up to 3 feet.

It's the sportspersons who pay up for wildlife To the editor: There is just no end to the ignorance of some minority groups who want to impart their narrow-minded misconceptions on the rest of society. Surely citizens, paying trillions of taxpayer dollars, fund a major portion of wildlife and habitat. Wrong! What's the old adage? Don't confuse me with facts, because I already made up my mind! A recent report was completed that detailed the economic impact of fishing and hunting.

USDA has extended signup deadlines for the Conservation Reserve Program and special re-enrollment and extension opportunities until April 28, the executive director of USDA's Farm Service Agency in Washington County said. The deadline had been April 14. "I encourage all eligible farmers and ranchers to take advantage of the Conservation Reserve Program enrollment options available," Director Colleen Cashell said. "Farmers can improve our soil, water, air and wildlife habitat resources by enrolling new cropland or re-enrolling and extending their current CRP contracts, which are due to expire in 2007.

Sign up now for forestry correspondence course Registrations are being accepted for the spring semester of the General Forestry Correspondence Course, which runs from Feb. 1 to May 20. Work from the comfort of your home, using your own woodlot, a friend's or a public forest while learning the basics of forestry, forest ecology and forest health in this non-credit course. Ultimately, the course exercises help you develop a management plan for your forest. As part of the $300 registration fee, you receive a course text notebook, separate appendices packed with resources, plus additional supplemental readings.

SHARPSBURG - A two-part workshop will teach local homeowners how to create beautiful, natural backyards that attract wildlife, and enhance privacy and value. Sponsored by the University of Maryland Cooperative Extension, the Woods in Your Backyard Workshop will be Thursday, Sept. 25, and Thursday, Oct. 2, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Agricultural Education Center on Md. 65 (Sharpsburg Pike). "The workshop will focus on simple woodland stewardship practices that will help people have more time outdoors, increase property privacy and sanctuary, increase wildlife abundance and enhance property values," said instructor and Natural Resource Extension Specialist Jonathan Kays.